Elastic block or shield for railway-track frogs



(NoModeL) A. WATSON & G. W. BRIGGS.

ELASTIG BLOCK 0R SHIELD'FOR RAILWAY TRACK PROGS.

No. 548,938. \v: Patented 001;.29, 1895.

ANDREW BAGRAHQM. PHOTQ-UTINQWASHINGIDEQC:

mm STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADELBERT WATSON AND. CARL W. BRIGGS, OF WISCONSIN.

ELASTIC BLOCK 0R SHIELD' FOR RAILWAY-TRACK FROGS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of etters Patent No. 548,938, dated October 29,1895.

Application filed December-10 1894; Serial No. 531,370. (No model-l To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ADELBERT WATSON and CARL W. BRIGGS, citizens of'the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Elastic Blocks or Shields for Railway-Track Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in elastic guard-blocks or shields for railwaytrack frogs, and pertains especially to devices for closing the frogs or angular spaces between the track without interfering with the car-wheel flanges.

The object of our invention is to provide'a device to prevent persons from getting their feet caught in the frogs or angular spaces between the rails of the track, as is frequently the case with brakemen or switchmen in their haste in coupling ears or turning switches in advance of a moving train.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a switch or track-crossing, show ing our invention inplace. Fig. 2 is a top perspective of one of the frogs, showing cross-section of our invention, drawn on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an oblique perspective of a section of the track and guardrail, drawn on the line Y Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view of a section drawn on the line t t of Fig. 1, showing the position of our invention in relation to the track-rail. Fig. 5 is a detail side view showing the method of, coupling the guard-blocks together. Fig. 6 is a top view of the coupling-joint.

Like parts are referred to throughout by the same reference-letters.

A represents a flat or horizontal portion of our shield adapted to be secured horizontally to the railroad-ties B or to the base-plate C, which supports the frog. The free end of the shield nearest the apex of the angle formed by the rails is curved upward and over with the upper portion D, tapering and extending horizontally into the angle on the ters Patent, is

same plane with the top surface of the rails. The upward curving portion E is widened laterally to conform to the shape of the rails and close the space between them.

When the shield is used, as shown in Fig. 2, both edges of the free end are bent downward and outward under the heads of the rails to form channels F for the reception or passage of the car-wheel flange; but when used between the track and guard-rail the channel F needbe formed only on the side nextto the rail, as the wheels do not pass on the other side. The side next to theguard-rail is therefore extended flush against the top of the rail.

The portion D of our shield, with the channeliF, where formed, is supported entirely from the portion A and has sufficient elasticity to yield to the flange of a passing wheel.

Where it is desirous to apply our invention to the angle formed by the guard and track rails, the shield need fill but little more than the angle at the ends of the guard-rail, for the remaining space is too narrow to permit a persons foot being caught; but,-if desired, the shields maybe extended to meet and lap over each other when they are interlocked, tos eth'er'forming a flexible joint G.

(Shown in Figs. 5 and 6.) It is obvious that our invention may be applied to any form of railway-frog or angular space between tracks, their shape in each case being made to conform to the space between the tracks.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1. An elastic guard block or shield for railway track frogs consisting of the combination with the rails and ties of the railroad track, of an elastic metallic plate adapted to fit into the angular space between the rails and consisting of a flat portion adaptedto be secured to the ties, and a raised horizontal portion supported thereon and entendinginto the angular space on the plane of'the upper surface of the rails, said raised portion having its edge bent downward and outward to form a wheel channel adjacent to the track.

rails, and with their free ends interlocking to form a movable joint, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa- 15 tures in the presence of two witnesses.

ADELBERT WATSON. CARL W. BRIGGS.-

Witnesses:

J AS. 13. ERWIN,

LEVERETT 0. WHEELER. 

